Defining Beringia

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

This posting can be understood as a means to put to rest some biogeographical arguments that have just been brought up HERE.

From a strict (formal/historical) point-of-view, the region that is subsumed under the Beringian label corresponds to that which is illustrated in the attached, schematic map. Being lazy, I’ll ask you to click HERE for a short history of this seminal concept, written a little while ago by a close friend and colleague of mine and, being an opportunist, I’ll suggest you spend some time visiting the site in question (i.e., the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre).

Over the years, however, Hultén’s initial concept has been geographically expanded, by many researchers, to include vast areas located west of the Kolyma, and this as far as the Lena River Basin and a bit beyond. In this sense -- and Dar is right, here, the Yana RHS locality could be described as being well within the Beringian, palaeoecological pale. Note that this is rather well illustrated by a recent article by Sher & al. that I just stuck in its proper Palaeoenvironmental Studies Board, i.e., right HERE, and that should provide one with a sense of what it was like, up there, in those Weichselian days.

Jacques

[Daryl Habel]

[Snip]
 In this sense -- and Dar is right, here, the Yana RHS locality could be described as being well within the Beringian, palaeoecological pale. Note that this is rather well illustrated by a recent article by Sher & al. that I just stuck in its proper Palaeoenvironments Board, i.e., right HERE, and that should provide one with a sense of what it was like, up there, in those Weichselian days.

Jacques

Ah yes! I well remember those Weichselian days from my youth.  I'm positive Sher & al. will take me back to the good old days of cold dry sunshine.  Oh!!! Sorry, that was Wyoming in winter I was daydreaming up.  Seriously though, thanks for the tip to visit the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center website.  I am aware of how boundary definitions (for anything) have a tendency to fluctuate historically, so the historical background is great.  It looks like there's lots new added to the webpage since my last visit, so I'll be spending some time reviewing the webpage.

Cheers,
Dar